Big spenders on taxpayer revealed

Former MPs and their spouses have been named for the first time for their travel spending on the taxpayer. Between them they racked up more than $716,000 on the controversial perk in the year to June 30.

Sir Roger Douglas
Sir Roger Douglas

The biggest spenders include Rosalind Burden, spouse of former National cabinet minister Philip Burdon, who claimed $12,913.

Of the MPs, former Labour MP Harry Duynhoven claimed $13,793, and Sir Roger Douglas spent $12,612 on international and domestic travel.

This information has long been secret - but a law change has seen it revealed, including what each former MP and spouse claimed.

Former MPs who were in Parliament before 1999 and their spouses can claim discounts on international travel pegged to the value of a business-class return trip to London. They also get 12 return domestic flights a year.

The perks are highly controversial - there was an uproar and backdown from the Government earlier this year when a change was proposed to how they were calculated.

But Prime Minister John Key at the time declined to remove the perks altogether, saying they were set long ago and were now limited to a diminishing number of people. "Generally, retrospective legislation is not a good thing," he said.

Parliamentary Service's annual report for 2014-2015 sets out who claimed the perk during the year, and to what value.

Seventy-seven former MPs claimed, at a total cost of $342,507 - $268,706 of which was for international travel.

A larger cost came from 77 spouses of former politicians, who between them claimed $373,729 - $305,956 of which was on international flights.

Just over $18,000 was reimbursements for travel in the previous financial year and for which invoices were received by September 18 last year.

There was a further $383,250 cost in fringe benefit taxes - meaning the total was $1,117,623, more than the $1 million that was budgeted.

"The [Parliamentary] Service has no control over the timing, number and the amount of the claims it may receive in any given year," the annual report states.

Only former MPs first elected before 1999 qualify for the perk which lasts for life. Depending how long they served in Parliament, it allows them and their spouses or partners to claim back up to 90% of the cost of international travel up to the equivalent of the cheapest return business class flight to London each year.

MPs can only claim the rebate for travel they pay for personally and it can not be used for private business travel.

Former MPs who served for three terms get a 60% rebate, for four terms it is 75% and five or more terms qualify for a 90% rebate. They can also claim for up to 12 domestic return flights a year.

The law disqualifies anyone who has been convicted of an offence punishable by imprisonment for a term of 2 years or more or a corrupt practice from using the perk - a change made after former Act MP Donna Awatere Huata's fraud conviction in 2005.

Former Prime Ministers get unlimited domestic travel, but that is now set by the Remuneration Authority rather than the Prime Minister. It could not adjust the perks of existing former Prime Ministers, but has said from Mr Key on any use of free travel must be in their capacity as former Prime Ministers rather than private.

The perks for former MPs have been controversial but former MPs have zealously defended them, claiming they were to compensate for taking lower pay increases in the past.

Details of who was using the perks used to be tightly held and Parliamentary Service is not subject to the Official Information Act.

However, an overhaul of the perks driven by Mr Key transferred oversight of the use of the perk to the Remuneration Authority.

They are now set out in legislation which also requires details of spending on the perk to be set out each year.

- By Nicholas Jones of the NZ Herald  

• TOP 15 FORMER MPs

Former MP/ year left Parliament and party/ amount claimed:
1. Harry Duynhoven (2008, Labour): $13,793
2. Sir Roger Douglas (2011, Labour/Act): $12,612
3. Michael Bassett (1990, Labour): $11,836
4. Sir Lockwood Smith (2013, National): $11,472
5. Sir Kerry Burke (1990, Labour): $11,351
6. Warren Kyd (2002, National): $9890
7. Chris Carter (2011, Labour): $9551
8. Marian Hobbs (2008, Labour): $9311
9. John Carter (2011, National): $9216
10. Sir Michael Cullen (2009, Labour): $9196
11. Sir Douglas Kidd (2002, National): $8936
12. Graeme Lee (1996, National/Christian Democrats): $8520
13. Sir Jim McLay (1987, National): $8339
14. Sir Don McKinnon (2000, National): $8332
15. Clem Simich (2008, National): $7721

• TOP 15 SPOUSES OF FORMER MPs:

1. Rosalind Burdon - Philip Burdon (1996, National) $12,913
2. Margaret Duynhoven - Harry DuynhoveN (2008, Labour) $12,144
3. Noeline Colman - Fraser Colman (1987, Labour) $11,778
4. Lady Clare De Lore - Sir Don McKinnon (2000, National) $11,469
5. Judith Bassett - Michael Bassett (1990, Labour) $11,444
6. Faheim Rastar Burke - Sir Kerry Burke (1990, Labour) $11,105
7. Dianne Kyd - Warren Kyd (2002, National) $10,987
8. Lady Jane Kidd - Sir Doug Kidd (2002, National) $10,907
9. Lady Glennis Douglas - Sir Roger Douglas (2011 Labour/Act) $10,827
10. Lady Alexandra Smith - Sir Lockwood Smith ((2013, National) $10,580
11. Susannah Walker - Bert Walker (1978, National) $10,380
12. Peter Kaiser - Chris Carter (2011, Labour) $10,088
13. Anne Collins - Sir Michael Cullen (2009, Labour) $9835
14. Leoni Carter - John Carter (2011, National) $9234
15. Daphne Lee - Graeme Lee (1996, National, Christian Dem) $8520

 

Source: Parliamentary Service annual report 2014-2015, expenses for international and domestic air travel

 

 

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